Seemingly without any trouble at all, he lifted me onto the counter and stepped between my legs when they parted as I tried to keep my balance. He chuckled into my mouth when a small yelp came out of me, then brought his hands up to stroke the backs of his fingers along my cheeks.
“You know,” he murmured between kisses. “We don’t actually need to do anything if you don’t want to. Things got a little heated for a minute there, but we can always just get another drink.”
I locked my fingers behind his neck, planting soft kisses on the sides of his mouth as I drew him closer to me again. “Don’t you dare stop. Unless you want to, that is?”
“I definitely don’t want to.” He dropped his mouth back to mine, one of his hands snaking into my hair while the other rested on my hip.
Our kisses were more passionate this time, but they were also slower. More exploratory.
I pictured the darkness of his hair as I dragged my fingers through the strands, remembering the way it had glinted in the mottled sunlight shining through the leaves back on the trail we took. While I knew we’d only known each other a couple of days, I replayed every minute we’d spent together in my head as I kissed him with everything I had.
All of it, all the chatting and the laughter, the flirting and the staring, it had all been leading to this moment. I should’ve seen it coming, but I hadn’t thought it would actually happen. He’d taken me by surprise, but it was the best surprise ever.
My fingertips ran down his back until I reached the hem of his shirt, and I allowed my hands to creep under the material. When I hit the bare skin above the waistband of his pants, I wrapped my legs around his thighs and yanked him all the way into me.
I groaned when that bulge ground against where I needed friction the most, and my hips rocked into him of their own accord. Both of us let out sounds of pleasure, but mine bordered on a shout. He felt so damn good, and our pants weren’t even off yet.
His hands moved up my ribs until they reached the undersides of my breasts. When his thumbs brushed over my puckered nipples, I shuddered and wondered if he was waiting for me to beg him. As if he’d heard the thought and wanted to prove me wrong, his fingers pinched the zipper on the side of my shirt and he dragged it open.
At the same time, I gripped the hem of his shirt and pulled it frantically over his head as he did the same with mine. We broke apart only for as long as it took for the material to pass our lips. Then our mouths crashed back together and our kisses picked up speed and fervor all over again.
While we devoured each other, our hands kept working at freeing the clothes we still had on. I managed to get his belt buckle undone by the time he had my jeans wide open and was running his fingers beneath the elastic of my panties.
My breath caught in my lungs and my head dropped back as I panted, arching my hips to encourage him to give me more. With his free hand reaching around my back to unsnap the hooks on my bra, the fingers on the other one finally slid down.
I gasped when he pushed them between my slick folds, and he made another one of those growling noises as he deepened our kiss. Everything he was doing was so perfect, I was already seeing stars.
Desperate to make him feel the same way, I went back to work on his jeans while he pushed a finger inside me. My hands fumbled but didn’t stop again until I held his considerable length in my hand. I hadn’t seen it yet, obviously, but it was thick and felt long, and it practically throbbed in my hand when I touched him.
In the meantime, my hips had started grinding into him, keeping up with the pace he was setting. Using my feet, I managed to get his jeans and underwear all the way to the floor, and he kicked off his sneakers to step out of them.
I nearly protested when he withdrew his hand, but that was only until I realized he needed it to get my pants off too. Bracing my palms on the cool countertop, I lifted my ass and he yanked my jeans down to my ankles in one smooth motion.
He took his time with my panties, though. Lowering himself to his haunches, he looked up at me with heavily lidded eyes as he started on my shoelaces. He pulled them free slowly, then let one sneaker drop before repeating the process with the other and then completely removed my panties and jeans.
I couldn’t take my eyes off him as he planted soft kisses on the insides of my ankles before he began dragging his lips higher. It only occurred to me when he was fully standing on his knees with his hands on my hips that the counter was at a very convenient height.
“Are you still okay with this?” he asked when he was face to face with my most intimate part.
Despite the fact that I was conscious of the lumps on my thighs and the rolls on my stomach he must’ve been seeing from his point of view, he didn’t seem to be put off by any of it. If anything, he was looking at me like I was the best thing he’d ever seen.
I nodded. My voice was wobbly and nervous when it came out, but my brain and my body were both into this. I wasn’t stopping now just because I was worried about what he was seeing.
“I’m very much okay with it,” I said, deciding to take the leap and be bold as I spread my legs farther apart.
His gaze dropped away from mine to where I was aching for him, and a loud groan came rumbling out of his throat. “Good. That’s good.”
His forehead touched the inside of my thigh and he took a breath deep enough that his shoulders moved up and down with it. I worried that he’d changed his mind. Before I could ask, he glanced back up into my eyes.
“Hold on tight, okay? I don’t want you falling off but I’m also not waiting any longer to taste you. I know a bed would be better, but fuck it.”
Another one of those growling noises escaped, but then his mouth was on me, and I was, as he had asked, hanging on for dear life. Whenever I felt myself starting to slip, one of his hands would be on my hip to anchor me, but he never stopped.
His lips, teeth, tongue, and fingers worked together seamlessly, expertly turning me into a ball of bliss within mere minutes. I screamed his name when the knot of tension deep inside me released, pleasure curling my toes as I surrendered to the mind-shattering orgasm he sent me spiraling into.
It was only once I started coming back down to earth that I realized we were still in his kitchen. His doors were open and anyone could’ve come walking in.
He caught me when my eyes darted from one door to the other, and he grinned as he held out his hand. “Relax. There’s no one here but us. Ashton’s asleep by now and your sister would’ve called. She hasn’t been to my house and I doubt she’d make the trek for the first time by herself at night.”
My heart was still racing, but I knew he was right. Accepting the hand he held out to me, I let him help me off the counter and, as he pulled me into him once more, looked up into those heated hazel eyes.
“Good point,” I murmured, pressing kisses to every inch of the golden skin on his chest that I hadn’t even had a chance to explore yet. “Let me return the favor.”
“Nope. If you touch me right now, I’m going off like a loaded firework.” He smirked and took my hands from his chest. “I need to be deep inside you when that happens.”
My insides clenched, suddenly feeling much too empty and much too wanting. I kept my gaze on his, but the question needed to be asked. “Have you got any condoms? I don’t.”
“There’s a box in my bathroom. Let’s go.” I didn’t ask why he kept them in his bathroom and not his bedroom, but when he led me into his room and went to retrieve said box, I also saw him taking the packaging off.
Ah, so it’s a new one. I liked that. Despite looking like a Greek god, he obviously hadn’t had company as recently as last night. Well, probably.
My heart sank at the thought of him with other women, but then I reminded myself that he wasn’t mine. This was a one-night thing. It was what I’d signed up for, and when he sank into me just a minute later, I decided that even just the one night with him was totally worth how I was probably going to end up comparing every other man to him from th
en on.
He was just that good.
13
HARRISON
When I woke up, I knew without opening my eyes that Keira wasn’t in bed with me. The air was too still, the room too quiet. My hand skimmed her side of the mattress. It was still warm, but as I’d suspected, it was empty.
How did she get out of bed without me knowing? I was a light sleeper. Usually, I was awake at the slightest sign of movement or sound, but I’d been dead to the world until about a minute ago.
I sat up in bed, stretching my arms above my head and looking around for Dottie. She wasn’t in the room anymore either, which was strange. It wasn’t often that she was up before I was.
Scrubbing my hands over my face in an attempt to wake up properly, I climbed out of bed and put on a pair of sweatpants. Images of what Keira and I had done on that bed flooded my mind when I looked back at it. I wished she had stuck around for round two this morning.
Since she hadn’t, there wasn’t much for me to do except go about my normal routine. After hitting the bathroom and brushing my teeth, I went into the kitchen to put on some coffee and feed Dottie.
The metallic clinking of the kibble in her bowl always lured her toward it, but she didn’t come. She’d been here last night though, so I wasn’t worried. She had to be around somewhere.
While I waited for the coffee, I yawned and covered my mouth with the back of my hand. Once I was armed with caffeine, I went out to the porch as always, but the sight that awaited me wasn’t one I thought I’d ever see.
Keira was sitting in the old rocking chair in the corner with Dottie’s head in her lap. She was gazing out at the sun starting to rise, her fingers threaded into Dottie’s hair.
“Good morning,” I said, honestly surprised to see she was still here. “There aren’t many people who wake up earlier than I do. Did you sleep okay?”
She smiled when she heard my voice, turning her head to face me as she nodded. Her eyes were soft and lazy, setting my mind at ease that she hadn’t been awake for very long.
“I slept like a drunken sailor after a bachelor party. I’m just also used to waking up early. I like this time of day, especially out here. It’s calm and invigorating.”
“Would you like some coffee?” I asked, holding up my mug. “I didn’t know you were still here, or I’d have made you some.”
“I’d love some, but I can get it myself.” She moved forward to stand up, but I stopped her.
“Stay there. I’ll be right back.” I set my own mug down on the side table and was back a few minutes later with her mug on a tray. I’d also brought out cream and sugar, which was why I hadn’t just given her my mug to begin with. I didn’t know how she took hers.
Her brows lifted when she saw the tray I was carrying, and a teasing grin formed on her lips. “Wow. I didn’t realize this was a full-service overnight visit.”
I shrugged, laughing a little as I set the tray down next to my mug. “Yep. Orgasms and coffee. I wonder if I should add that to the website.”
“You’d have to build more houses to meet the increase in demand,” she joked, but I saw the flush spreading on her cheeks even in the early morning light. She added half a spoon of sugar and a splash of cream to her coffee, then lifted the mug to her lips. “Thanks for this.”
“You’re more than welcome.” I took the chair beside hers, settling in with my own coffee to watch as the sky slowly became lighter. “What time are you planning on leaving today? Think you’ll have time to take Molly out one last time?”
She shook her head, sighing as she pressed the corners of her mouth in. “Nope. I doubt it. I’m quite sure Hailey’s going to want to get home to Nick as early as possible. Thanks for the offer, though.”
“Anytime.” A quiet minute passed between us, but it was a comfortable one. “Do you really think Hailey’s going to be ready to enter her ceremony on horseback after only that one short session on Friday?”
“To be honest, I think she’s probably already decided against it. I really appreciate all your help, but I doubt we’re going to be getting anywhere near the stables on the day of the wedding.”
I laughed again, and once more, I was surprised by how easy it happened around her. “That’s okay. As long as you had a good weekend and you’re leaving here happy, that’s all we can ask for.”
She raised her mug in my direction and grinned. “The coffee and orgasms definitely helped to make it the best weekend I’ve had for a while.”
“You’re welcome back anytime. I’d love for you to come again.” I pretended to tip a hat at her, which made her laugh before silence fell between us again.
Memories of the weekend played in my mind, and it occurred to me I wouldn’t mind having Keira stay longer. I was heading back to the city myself later, so it wasn’t an option to ask her if she wanted to stick around for another day or two, but maybe there was a different way of making sure that I would see her again.
“So I’ve got a wild idea,” I said suddenly. “If you need a date to the wedding, I could always go with you.”
She blinked back her surprise. “You’d really be willing to do that?”
“Sure. You said you didn’t want your mother hassling you about a date. So why not?” I had spoken without thinking, but the idea was solid. One night with her hadn’t been enough, and she’d said herself that her mother was going to crucify her for showing up alone. This way, she didn’t have to and I’d get to spend more time with her. “I’d be happy to go, even if you’re not going to be using the skills I taught you this weekend.”
“It’s not a bad idea, but you should know that it won’t be as simple as just showing up and saying you’re my date,” she said, sighing before she looked into my eyes. “My mother won’t just interrogate you about who you are. She’ll be pushing to know every detail, including when we’re going to get married.”
“Then I guess I won’t just be your date. I’ll be your fiancé for the night. How fun will that be?” It wasn’t like it would be real anyway, so whatever the label was didn’t really matter to me.
Keira, on the other hand, seemed hesitant. She bit the inside of her cheek and kept her eyes on mine. I could see the wariness in them, the uncertainty about whether she should take me up on my offer.
“I don’t know,” she said finally. “It doesn’t seem right to expect something like that from anyone, never mind someone I’ve just met.”
I sat forward and propped my elbows on my knees, linking my fingers between them but keeping my gaze on hers. “It’s not a problem at all. I really don’t mind helping you out, and if it means pretending that we’re engaged, then that’s fine too. Your mother is going to love me.”
She chuckled softly, but her features relaxed. “Let me think about it. Can I let you know?”
“Of course,” I said.
Long before I was ready for it to happen, our coffee was done and Keira was on her way back to the main house to pack. Dottie and I went over to see them off about an hour later.
Hailey was complaining about being up so early, but she was also eager to get home. She shot me a look before climbing into the car. “Thanks for everything, Harrison. Sorry it didn’t work out.”
Keira rolled her eyes at her sister, coming to stand in front of me once the door slammed shut behind her. She stuck her hand out, then seemed to reconsider and opened her arms for me instead. “Bye, Harrison. We’ll talk soon about the wedding. Thanks for everything this weekend, and please tell Ashton goodbye from us as well.”
“Will do.” Wrapping my arms around her waist, I held her tighter and for longer than necessary, breathing in the faint, nutty scent of her shampoo before letting her go. “Drive safe, okay? Let me know when you get home.”
She laughed slightly but then flicked her gaze up at mine and arched a brow. “You mean that, don’t you?”
“Absolutely. Dirt roads aren’t anyone’s friend. You’ve always got to be careful on them, but especially if you’re not used to
them.”
“We’ll be careful,” she promised, lifted her hand in a wave, and then, with one last lingering look at me, climbed into her car.
Dottie whined when the engine started, and I had to hold on to her collar to keep her from taking off after them when they drove away. I spoke to her in a low voice until their car faded from sight.
“Don’t worry, girl,” I murmured, my eyes glued to the cloud of dust in the distance. “I’ll get her back here for us sometime, okay? This won’t be the last we see of her. I promise.”
The promise was made to myself as much as to Dottie, and it was a promise I intended to keep.
14
KEIRA
I walked into my apartment and staggered to the couch, taking off my heels, bra, and earrings one after the other. The shoes hit my rug with dull thuds, my bra ended up hanging off the back of the couch, and I set my earrings down on the coffee table before sagging into the cushions.
For a few minutes, I didn’t move. I just sat there, staring at the black screen of my TV as I caught my breath after another wild day. It turned out that taking a day off meant working even longer hours the week after, trying to catch up on everything I’d missed.
It was terrifying how much actually happened in just a day and a half at my office.
I blew out a breath, grabbing the remote to switch on the news. The workday at the office might finally be over, but I needed to make a study of the business news every night. I didn’t even have time to change before I watched the report with a notebook from my satchel in hand, jotting down interesting points that I’d look into in the morning.
Just as I was about to go change and then dig something out of the freezer for dinner, there was a knock at my door. I sighed but veered off to the front door instead of heading straight for my bedroom.
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